By Peter Ebock Ibe
It is with deep sorrow and grave concern that I address the deaths of no fewer than 37 suspected illegal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
These were Nigerians- sons, fathers, brothers, who were arrested during an enforcement operation and placed under the care and authority of a Federal agency. Whatever their alleged offence was, they did not deserve to forfeit their right to life, to humane treatment, or to due process at the alter of incompetence that has become of our security agencies.
That so many could die under state custody within days of their arrest is not a mere tragedy. It is a damning indictment of how security agencies treat their fellow Nigerian citizens in detention, and it demands condemnation, reform and answers, not condolences alone.
I hereby condemn in the strongest terms, the circumstances that led to these preventable deaths.
I call on the Federal Government, the National Assembly, and the leadership of the NSCDC to:
- Constitute an independent, speedy, transparent investigation into the exact circumstances of these deaths, including the conditions of detention, the medical state of the detainees at arrest, the duration and manner of their confinement, and whether basic welfare standards were observed.
- Identify and prosecute all persons found liable, regardless of rank or office. Accountability cannot stop at suspension. If negligence, cruelty, or deliberate harm caused these deaths, those responsible must face full legal consequences.
- Compensate and support the families of the deceased, who have lost breadwinners and loved ones to a system that failed them.
Beyond this specific tragedy, I am compelled to speak to the deeper, structural problem it exposes. This is not the first time Nigerians have died in state custody under preventable, unexplained circumstances. It will not be the last unless we act fast.
I therefore call for a comprehensive and immediate overhaul of Nigeria’s arrest, detention, and bail laws, including:
A. Mandatory medical screening for all persons at the point of arrest and at defined intervals during detention, with results documented and independently verifiable.
B. Strict, enforceable limits on pre-arraignment detention periods, with automatic judicial review where those limits are exceeded.
C. Minimum humane conditions of custody, i.e. adequate space, ventilation, food, water, and sanitation set by law, and not left to the discretion of individual commands and officers.
D. Independent oversight mechanisms, including unannounced inspections of detention facilities by judicial and civil society monitors.
E. Clear, enforceable bail guidelines that reduce unnecessary and prolonged pre-trial detention, particularly for non-violent offences such as those relating to mining infractions.
E. Personal and institutional liability for security agencies and officers who fail to meet these standards, with clear channels for victims and families to seek redress.
Fellow Nigerians, we cannot continue to lose citizens in custody and treat each incident as an isolated failure. Until our laws impose real consequences for neglect and abuse in detention, this will keep happening. Today it is Niger State, Tomorrow it could be Cross River State.
I therefore urge the current National Assembly to prioritize the reform of our nation’s arrest and detention framework. No Nigerian should die simply for being taken into custody.
My condolences go out to the families of the deceased. Their loss must not be in vain.
Hope Dey.
Peter Ebock Ibe (Esq.)
AAC Candidate, Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency
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